


The Gingerbread Crown

by Starling_Sinclair



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, College AU, F/M, Gingerbread Houses, Sailor Moon Secret Santa 2020, coffee shop AU, holiday feels, hygge, sailor moon gift exchange 2020
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starling_Sinclair/pseuds/Starling_Sinclair
Summary: Crown Coffee hosts an annual Gingerbread decorating contest, but always the spectator Mamoru finds himself in a difficult position when his favorite competitor finds herself in need of a partner. This is a secret Santa gift for Sessediz as part of the 2020 Holiday exchange.
Relationships: Chiba Mamoru/Tsukino Usagi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14
Collections: 2020 Sailor Moon Holiday Gift Exchange





	The Gingerbread Crown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sessediz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sessediz/gifts).



> Happy holidays Sessediz!! I imagined I’d have more time to work on this, so, here’s the start of your gift fic. I promise to have it done by Christmas.
> 
> This is a coffee shop AU inspired by your idea for “typical holiday activities like homemade cookies” and my attempt at hygge. I hope it inspires giggles, holiday cheer, and something like that warm satisfied feeling you get when drinking a nice cup of hot chocolate on a cool day.

Crown Coffee set the mood every December 1st with an abundance of decorations. Themes varied, though this year a peppermint theme was in full effect with red and white garlands draped from every counter. Paper candy canes dangled from the ceiling with twinkling red and white lights. To complete the theme, the menu consisted of a variety of peppermint flavored beverages and pasties that were all quite unappealing to Mamoru, which is why starting December 1st, the graduate student found himself spending less time at his favorite study spot despite finals week.

However, there was one holiday indulgence he did enjoy. Just after final papers were submitted and exams were proctored, Crown hosted the annual gingerbread house competition. Teams competed for a chance to display their confectionary masterpieces in the storefront window amongst a cheap train and glitter in a mock holiday village. There was also a ¥10,000 gift certificate. The competition was like having a front-row seat to the most ridiculous baking competition on TV. There were icing and tears, masterpieces and ruined friendships, fantastic creations, and the occasional tumbling of the finished house; it was both an artistic marathon and touch of schadenfreude that sparked the smallest holiday cheer while satisfying his grinchy side.

On the day of the competition, he was there early to secure a good seat. With a large pile of overdue assignments his professor had given him to grade, Mamoru settled in with the largest cup of plain coffee he could order and the most normal pastry remaining on the menu. There were ten two-person tables lined down the center of the cafe. Each table was to host a competing team. Already eight of them were full, duos in hushed conspiratorial tones scrolling through Pinterest inspiration boards. The ninth contained a purse, but no team. Instead, one Usagi Tsukino paced about frantically, checking the screen of the cell phone she carefully clutched in her hands.

Over the years, Mamoru had watched his “nemesis” move through a variety of gingerbread building partners. The first year had been her primary school friend Minako, which had result in a fine dumpster fire of a house. Icing dripped from cookie eaves in clumps, and many of the candy pieces that added color and flair had been gobbled up by the two blondes. Of course, the spectacular conclusion had been the epic tumble of the gingerbread house on its final leg of its journey, one that sent cookie walls clear across the cafe. If Mamoru was being perfectly honest, this was the year he’d decided to make a habit of attending Crown’s annual event. 

The next year, Usagi enlisted the help of her new friend and tutor, Ami. That year, tensions ran high, as time-conscious Ami constantly wrangled laissez-faire Usagi throughout the whole event. Though, they did actually turn in an entry - a strange hodgepodge of structure and whimsy. 

The following year brought yet another new friend, Rei, whom he’d later befriended. The two argued fiercely over every artistic choice, loud and colorful, and the whole tirade had kept Mamoru on the edge of his seat, unsure if he favored the newcomer or the annoying girl he’d become quite fond of. That was another year the house ended up on the floor, though, it wasn’t because of clumsiness.

Since September, Mamoru had watched with interest as Usagi befriended and subtly incepted the idea of winning the competition into her new friend, Makoto, a culinary student at a neighboring trade school. He watched over their shoulders as plotted designs on napkins and created elaborate Pinterest inspiration boards. Today had been long in the making, and honestly, Mamoru had been looking forward to seeing the blonde possibly put forth a winning display.

Usagi glanced anxiously at the door before a ping from her phone drew her attention. She turned away, and he could no longer read her expression. So instead, he tried to focus on the papers in front of him, but, it was a lost cause. He watched her over the top of his coffee mug as she conspired with Minako in hushed tones, and the start of the competition drew ever nearer.

She looked over her shoulder, and was she looking at him? He shuffled his papers in hopes of presenting a focused facade. Had he been too obvious in his gawking? Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the two continue their conversation until Usagi slumped with defeat. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out what must have happened. Matoko was not coming. Usagi was without a partner for the competition. 

Taking a bite of pastry, Mamoru admitted he was a bit saddened by this nemesis’s situation. For all her failures, she still held an unshakable optimism for the little event. It was a shame if she couldn’t participate.

As he took a sip of his coffee to wash the vague peppermint taste out of his mouth, he noticed something strange. Usagi was marching directly towards him. He set his coffee mug down, spilling just a smidge of his coffee in his haste as he pretended to focus on the papers on this table.

She loudly cleared her throat as she stood before him. “Ahem.”

He glanced up at her, before looking around to see if there was anyone else she could possibly be looking for. The two stools beside him were empty.

“Ahem,” she said again.

He quirked an eyebrow. “Can I help you with something, Odango?”

With a small bob of her head, as if gathering her courage, she finally said, “Makoto has the flu.”

Ah, so that explained her partner’s absence. But...“What does that have to with me?”

She groaned as she rolled her eyes. “Are you really going to make me say it?”

“Say what?”

“I need your help.”

He blinked. She had to know that even as a med student, he couldn’t cure the flu right? “With what?” he asked suspiciously.

“I need you to be my partner.”

Well, that was not what he was expecting “Your partner?”

“What are you? A parrot? Yes, my partner. For the gingerbread house contest.”

Him? Her _partner_? “Isn’t there someone else you’d rather be asking?” He glanced around the room, searching for anyone else who would be more suited for the request.

“You always come to this thing, so that means you have to like it. It’s the only time I see you in at Crown in December.” She’d noticed? Ah, crap. This was going to harder to get out of than he thought. His eyes landed on Minako, who was watching the scene with a bit too much glee.

“What about Minako?”

“Yes, because that worked out so well last time.” Well, he couldn’t deny that. He vividly remembered their house tumbling across the floor. It had been a real highlight of that year.

“I suppose you have a point,” he grumbled. “Still, there has to be someone better…”

Usagi stood up a little straighter, determined. “The competition starts in five minutes. I’m disqualified if I don’t have a partner. And my choice is you or to forfeit.”

He ran his hand through his hair. Why did she have to make such a compelling argument? She would be decimated if she had to quit because she didn’t have a partner. Besides, ‘tis the season and all that right?

“I guess I’ll do it.”

Her eyes lit up like the decorations around them. “You will? Oh, thank you Mamoru!” Then her arms were around him in a bear hug.

Stiffly, he waited for her to pull away. Her arms lingered on his shoulders, and from his seated position, they were practically eye to eye. The moment lingered a little too long, so Mamoru interrupted it.

“There’s one thing you should know,” he said, very breathily. “I’ve never made a gingerbread house before.”


End file.
